###¨¨##¨¨¨                                          #¨¨###¨#¨#
¨¨¨#¨#¨#¨¨                                          ##¨#¨¨####
#¨¨######¨                                          ¨¨###¨#¨¨¨
##¨#¨¨¨¨¨#                                          ¨¨#¨¨###¨¨
#¨###¨¨¨¨#                                          ¨¨##¨#¨¨#¨
###¨¨#¨¨¨#             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨#¨###¨##
¨¨¨#¨##¨¨#             the alvar fields             ¨¨###¨¨##¨
¨¨¨###¨#¨#             @@@##########@@@             ¨¨#¨¨#¨#¨#
#¨¨#¨¨####                                          ¨¨##¨#####
¨#¨##¨#¨¨¨ from   north  to   south,   thirty   odd ¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨
¨###¨###¨¨ kilometers.  from  west  to  east,  four #¨###¨#¨¨¨
¨#¨¨##¨¨#¨ thousand  meters. from topsoil to stone, ¨##¨¨###¨¨
¨##¨#¨#¨## a foot or two.  no roots can fester,  no ##¨#¨#¨¨#¨
¨#¨######¨             dust can linger.             #¨#####¨##
####¨¨¨¨¨#                                          ###¨¨¨¨##¨
#¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨# here  is earth,  clay,  and  sturdy  low ¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨#
¨#¨¨##¨¨¨# plants.  bushes  frame  the  strip.  the #¨¨##¨¨###
###¨#¨#¨¨# earth  is bare  in patches  as large  as ##¨#¨#¨#¨¨
#¨¨#####¨#                you and me.               ¨¨#######¨
##¨#¨¨¨¨##                                          ¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨#
¨¨###¨¨¨#¨ cross it to get  to the ocean, or  don't ¨¨##¨¨¨¨¨#
#¨#¨¨#¨¨##          to stay where you are.          ¨¨#¨#¨¨¨¨#
¨###¨##¨#¨                                          #¨####¨¨¨#
##¨¨##¨###                                          ###¨¨¨#¨¨#
¨¨#¨#¨##¨¨                                          #¨¨#¨¨##¨#
#¨#####¨#¨                                          ##¨##¨#¨##
¨##¨¨¨¨###                                          ¨¨##¨####¨
¨#¨#¨¨¨#¨¨                                          #¨#¨##¨¨¨#